When Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood takes the field for the New York Giants, he’ll be the second member of his family to play in the NFL for John Harbaugh.
Hood was selected by Harbaugh, the Giants’ first-year head coach, with the 37th pick overall in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft on April 24.
His uncle, Roderick Hood, played eight seasons in the NFL as a cornerback. That included four seasons (2003-06) with the Philadelphia Eagles when Harbaugh was special teams coordinator.
“My uncle always told me how good of a person (Harbaugh) was but also how hard of a coach he was and how good of a coach he was,” Colton Hood told reporters. “(He is) definitely somebody I want to be coached by and somebody I want to play for.”
The Giants believe they got a steal in Hood, who was projected as a first-round pick in most mock drafts. When he fell to the second round, Harbaugh pounced on the opportunity to snag a talented player at a position of need.
It didn’t hurt that Harbaugh was familiar with Hood’s pedigree.
"I know the type of family this young man comes from, and the type person he is,” Harbaugh said. “I know the kind of athlete he is. This is a corner with traits and ball skills. Plus, he's a high-character guy. So he’s going to light a fire in that room. You better be ready. You better be ready to compete.”
Harbaugh, a former defensive backs coach, inherited a cornerbacks group that was criticized for its inconsistency last season.
But he believes Hood will help change that, and do so immediately.
“(Hood is) competing to start” Harbaugh said. “That's what he’s going to do. We got a cornerback room now. It’s amazing how one addition changes the math in a room.
“Cornerback room is good, but now it’s really good. He’s going to push everybody. I know one thing, he’s planning on coming in here and trying to win a starting job.”
Hood played three college seasons at three different programs, improving his stock at each stop. He started his career at Auburn. He developed under Deion Sanders as Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter’s backup at Colorado. And he turned into an elite All-SEC cornerback at Tennessee.
Hood is Harbaugh’s type of player. He doesn’t shy away from contact. He excels in press-man coverage. He plays a physical style against the run. And he’s dedicated himself to becoming a more fundamental tackler.
Hood also has a nose for the football, demonstrated by his two defensive TDs in 2025.
“I want a bunch of pitbulls out there flying around making plays on the football,” Harbaugh said. “And Colton Hood gives us another guy in there to do that and compete and push everybody.”
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Colton Hood drafted by New York Giants' John Harbaugh, who coahced his uncle